§ Mrs. Winifred Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the relationship between the Scottish Special Housing Association and the Scottish Office.
§ Mr. William RossThe Scottish Special Housing Association is a company limited by guarantee, registered under the Companies Act 1948. In its main role—the provision of houses for renting, to assist Scottish local authorities in areas of economic expansion or in connection with overspill agreements—the association is financed from moneys voted by Parliament.
The Chairman and members of the association's Council of Management are nominated by the Secretary of State, and the conduct of its business is regulated in broad terms by an agreement between the association and the Secretary of State. Such matters as the association's housing programmes and the general level of rents charged are subject to my approval, but day-to-day housing management, including the allocation of tenancies and the determination of individual rents, is in the association's own hands.